Improved curtain and shawl-stretcher



tinited p tatea JAMES NIOKL'IN, oreLEvELaND, onto.

Letters Patent No. 98,094, dated December 21, 1869.

' IMPROVEDCURTAIN ANIi SHAWL-STRETCHER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same. Y 1

To all whom itanoy concern.:

Be it known that I, J AMES N IeKLrN, of Cleveland,

in the county' of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have.

inventedcertain new and useful Improvemel'lts' in a `Curtain and Shawl-Stretcher; and I do -hereby de-y clare that the following is a full and complete description of the saine, refe-rence being had to the accom` rlhe purpose of this invention is for stretching shawls, curtains, and other like delicate fabrics after being washed, thereby 1n'eventingthem from shrinking, and becoming warped and wrinkled ill/the process of drying.

This stretcher consists of a rectangular frame, as shown in iig. 2, in which it will bel seen. that ill each side, A, is eut a lengthened slot, B.

In said'slotis inserted, at each corner or point of conjunction, a bolt, C, tig. 1, provided with a tingernut, I), whereby the several sections of theii-alneare secured to each other, and which admits of the extension and contraction ofthe size of the frame, so as to adapt it to the nature and size ofthe article to he operated upon.

Along 4the inner edge of each side or section A, is eut a rabhet, E, in which is arranged a series of sharp-pointed pills, a, also indicated by the dotted lilies b, fig. the purpose ot which will hereinafter be shown.

It is well known that shawls, curtains, and other articles of a delicate nature, in the process ot' drying after being washed, are liable to shrink and become wrinkled and moreI or lesswarped out of shape, andiy in consequence of the frail and delicate nature of tln.l material, cannot be ironed ont, and thereby freed from such wrinkles and unevenness without serious injury to the articles.

'To avoid this injury t-o the material, and to retain the shape, size, and smoothness of the fabric, is the. purpose of this frame, and which is used in the following manner, viz:

The shawl or other article, on being washed, is then secured to the frame, hooking the extreme edges thereof on the pins d. This having been done, the. frame-or sides ofthe frameare then forced outward, thereby stretching the article` thereon, which is held thus expanded by clamping the frame together bythe holt and nutC Il. vlln this condition it is allowed to dry on the frame, and which, when-dry, will be found to beV smooth, unshrunken, and free of any distortion.

-oi' the shape or pattern, and requires no ironing or pressing, as a finishing for the. work of cleaning.

It will be obvious that the .adjustable character ot' ,thetiame will allow of its being adapted tovarious sizesof goods, so that large or small articles can be stretched and dried thereon.

' What I claim as my improvement, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The adjustaijlle sides A, when constructed with slots B, rabb'et E, and pins c, and screwed to each other in the manner substantia-llyas described, and for the-purpose set forth. i f

i JAMES NlCKLlN. Vitnesses: A s

J. H. Bunninen, D. L. HUMPHREY. 

